Contact and Venue Hire

Admissions

Biddick Academy : Specialising in Sports and Performing Arts

The Trust Board of Biddick Academy will be the Admission Authority for this academy. The Trust Board intends to admit up to 224 pupils to Year 7 in September 2018. An additional 5 places are available for learners with a statement of SEN naming our Unity Centre ASD provision as the appropriate placement.

The admissions policy is applied if the number of applications exceeds the number of places available. The admissions authority acknowledges the rights of parents/carers to express a preference for the academy. However parental preference cannot be considered where the academy is over-subscribed in a particular year.

Pupils with a statement of Special Educational Needs naming Biddick Academy will be offered a place.

The Trust Board of Biddick Academy, as the admissions authority, will admit students to the academy in accordance with the following criteria in the following order of priority:

‘Looked-after’ child – a child that is looked-after’ by a Local Authority in accordance with Section 22(1) of the Children’s Act 1989 and a child who was looked after, but ceased to be so, because of adoption (or become subject to a residence order or special guardianship order).

A sibling link - an older brother/sister or older child (including adoptive, foster or step-children) that shares the same parent/carer and lives at the same address, who will still be attending Biddick Academy at the time of admission.

Exceptional medical or psychological reasons (you must include a medical or psychological report, prepared by a professional, to confirm information that you include in this section. This report should explain why only this academy can meet your child’s medical or psychological needs. Common childhood medical conditions such as asthma or giving a child’s or giving a child’s nervousness at starting new school as a psychological reason for choosing a particular school/academy are unlikely to be accepted as exceptional). If you intend to use this criterion when expressing a preference, please contact the School Admissions Team before completing the application form. (Eligibility under this category will be considered by a meeting of Senior Academy staff/directors).

Pupils for whom preferences are expressed on grounds other than those outlined above.

Within each of the above, places will be offered on the basis of distance from the centre of the home address to the main entrance of the academy with priority being given to those living closest to the academy. Distance is measured by the shortest safest walking distance, using a geographical information system (GIS).

At the first stage of allocations there will be no distinction between 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. preference applications. Therefore all applications will be considered equally against the admission criteria and at the same time.

In determining allocations, priority will be given to those applications where the parental preference is received by the published deadline date.

Where it is not possible to offer a place at the academy, the child will be placed on a waiting list. The waiting list is sorted using the admission criteria.

Parents who are refused a place have a statutory right of appeal. Further details of the appeals process are available by writing to the Chairman of the Biddick Academy Trust Board at the academy address.

About Biddick Academy

Biddick is a popular and oversubscribed Academy, mainly serving the south of Washington, with around 1100 students on roll. We make a commitment to staffing and as a result we have one of the lowest teacher pupil ratios in the area.

Most of our students have English as a first language; the number of pupils with learning disabilities and the proportion entitled to free school meals are below average.